2812 replies to this topic

[Rob Randall]

That's why I say he's a combination of the two. When Kennedy and Trudeau decided it was time to give up their youthful vagabond ways dad's cronies greased their entry into politics. 

 

But Kennedy never experienced cashing a paycheque with regular guys like Nixon and Trudeau although Trudeau had the option of choosing to mingle with the proletariat. Nixon was dirt poor.

[Mike K.]

Democracy, eh?

When it’s more about who dad was and your “hotness” than much else.

[Rob Randall]

To be fair, if Justin were nothing more than a stuffed shirt he wouldn't have lasted this long. 

[Victoria Watcher]

I believe he quite smartly relies on his advisors. and handlers. and they never put him in difficult positions.

so if he does an unscripted walk-about he will be doing it with Rosemary Barton and not Ezra Levant.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 August 2021 - 09:24 AM.

[Mike K.]

His advisors have also smartened up after a half dozen ethics missteps.

[spanky123]

To be fair, if Justin were nothing more than a stuffed shirt he wouldn't have lasted this long. 

 

Having chatted with advisors to several leaders over the years I would say that in a lot of cases the stuffed shirt comparison is actually pretty accurate. 

[Rob Randall]

Sure, there's a stuffed shirt aspect. There's a sense of the entitled naif he will never be able to shed.

 

Yet he's on the cusp of one day becoming one of the country's longest-serving PMs. 

 

Ask Paul Martin how it feels to drop down to minority status and have the knives come out for you.

 

For all Justin's faults and errors he has survived on a combination of institutional support, privilege, plain dumb luck, smart politics, and the ability to tamp down the ambitions of rivals. If he were only a one-trick-pony stuffed shirt he would have been tossed to the curb years ago.

[Wayne]

Sure, there's a stuffed shirt aspect. There's a sense of the entitled naif he will never be able to shed.

 

Yet he's on the cusp of one day becoming one of the country's longest-serving PMs. 

 

Ask Paul Martin how it feels to drop down to minority status and have the knives come out for you.

 

For all Justin's faults and errors he has survived on a combination of institutional support, privilege, plain dumb luck, smart politics, and the ability to tamp down the ambitions of rivals. If he were only a one-trick-pony stuffed shirt he would have been tossed to the curb years ago.

 

Take away the Quebec's vote for their boy toy and it would be different. 

 

He is a fine line between the longest term serving PM vs a possible cause of a divided country.

[Rob Randall]

Can you name a PM that gained power without Quebec?

[Mike K.]

Forget that. It’s hard to name a modern PM that isn’t from Quebec.

This country is largely governed by whomever Quebec favours. Trudeau Jr. even famously said all that matters politically is Quebec.

[m3m]

Trudeau is desperate to free his party of the NDP.

Speaking of which, they’re not releasing their 2020 financial report (the NDP). What gives?

The Greens and Tories seem to be in shambles. The NDP has continuity since the last election. The NDP machine seems to be growing stronger. The electorate is younger.

If Trudeau doesn’t get his majority, he might be have to rely on Jagmeet even more.

[Benezet]

Forget that. It’s hard to name a modern PM that isn’t from Quebec…

Fun fact: starting in 1957, there have been only three PMs who were born in Quebec.

[vortoozo]

 

tomorrow's budget has inspired a lot of "Spring Election" fever talk - although in the middle of a thrd wave i doubt anyone wants to be blamed for causing another pandemic election

 

anyway, my pet theory is MP's would be foolsh to call an election anytime prior to Oct 19, 2021 - why?   the 42nd Canadian general election was held on October 19, 2015

 

Retirement age:

For pensionable service accrued prior to January 1, 2016, a plan member with 6 years of service may receive their pension as early as age 55.

For pensionable service accrued on or after January 1, 2016, a plan member with 6 years of service may receive an unreduced pension at age 65.

 

no six years, no pension - it's that simple

 

nobody looks after their own interest better than a politician

 

https://www.canada.c...nsion-plan.html

 

 

 

oh, there is an election coming alright...but...not until the Fall!

 

 

With a fall election looming, Trudeau, O'Toole and Singh trade barbs in the last Commons sitting

 

https://news.google....l=CA&ceid=CA:en

 

...and why a fall election you might ask...

 

SIX years in office to get a pension...that's way...self serving weasels, every one!

 

 

 

There is ony one word for this:

 

PENSION!!    ;-)   (apologies to Carolyn Bennett)

 

 

 

 

McKenna retiring from politics, creates possible opening for Mark Carney

https://www.ctvnews....arney-1.5487686

 

 

if an election is called Sep 19, then a 36 day campaign period (minimum) sets the date as Oct 25 - the first Monday after the 6 year anniverasary of the 2015 election

 

or

 

it could be called on sep 5, then a 50 day campaign period (maximum) sets the date as Oct 25 - the first Monday after the 6 year anniversary of the 2015 election

which is the 6 year pension mark.

 

or at anytime between those two dates or after for that matter

 

the point being if it is called before then some members if not re-elected might not be eligible for a parliamentary pension

 

to quote Minister Bennett - "Pension!"

 

It appears that pensions aren't, in fact, the main decision making criteria in determining election dates.

Nice display of confidence, though.

[Victoria Watcher]

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole said late Sunday he is opposed to mandatory vaccinations for federal public servants and instead prefers a regular rapid testing regime to keep workplaces safe from COVID-19.

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...ation-1.6142113

 

 

 

In a statement Monday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the Liberal promises lack clear timelines and Trudeau must commit to vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations by Labour Day — just 21 days from today.

 

 

 

 

 

seems to me trudeau has the winning position here.  mandatory vaccinations or potential mass firings of federal workers will not occur until after the election.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 August 2021 - 05:10 AM.

[Spy Black]

O'Toole has pretty much done himself in with that statement regarding his not supporting mandatory vaccinations for all travel, federal government employment, and other miscellaneous things for which you will not be permitted to do without proof of vaccination.

 

O'Toole's is a ridiculous position to take, as the concept of rapid-testing obviously anticipates that the person being tested will already have COVID-19 while they're out and about walking the streets, airports, and federal office buildings across Canada.

Like Horgan (whom I simply cannot support for his calling for an election at the height of the third wave of COVID), I would otherwise be unwilling to forgive Trudeau and his Lib cohorts for calling an election during the 4th wave of the pandemic ... but in this case, the Tories have essentially brought this election on themselves with their never ending roadblocks towards a Federally mandated vaccination passport being required for a multitude of different things ... and now they make it impossible to vote for them with their "American Light" concept of minimizing the importance of vaccinations for all Canadians.

 

As much as I was completely prepared to throw Trudeau under the bus at the "next election" ... I definitely can not support any party that has as its platform any form of anti-vaxing framework for the future of Canada. 

For O'Toole, I suspect a majority of Canadians will be sending him that same message in the polls come September, sending him packing for the next four years.

Edited by Spy Black, 16 August 2021 - 06:06 AM.

[Mike K.]

Fun fact: starting in 1957, there have been only three PMs who were born in Quebec.

Sure, but one doesn’t have to be born there to be from there.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Conservative Party of Canada today released its full 160-page election platform — an ambitious agenda that promises billions of dollars in new spending to prop up an economy ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Unlike past Conservative platforms, this one embraces a robust role for government in the economy through large cash injections to help businesses weather the pandemic crisis over the next two years.

 

The multi-billion dollar plan has not yet been costed; the party says the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has not finished studying the numbers.

 

"You'll probably notice ideas that you haven't heard from Conservatives like me before. It's time for Conservatives to take inequality seriously, because that's becoming more of a problem in our country," Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says in the opening paragraphs of the document.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...tform-1.6142319

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 August 2021 - 07:31 AM.

[Mike K.]

Fun fact: starting in 1957, there have been only three PMs who were born in Quebec.

 

I'll run some names for us for the last 30-years:

Mulroney - born in Quebec, lived in Quebec

(Kim Campbell was an unelected PM for four months, born in Port Alberni, though!)

Chretien - born in Quebec, lived in Quebec

Martin - born in Ontario, lived in Quebec

Harper - born in Ontario, lived in Alberta

Trudeau - born in Ontario while dad was PM; lived in Quebec

 

Four of the last five elected PM's lived in Quebec when they became PM.

[Tom Braybrook]

It appears that pensions aren't, in fact, the main decision making criteria in determining election dates.

Nice display of confidence, though.

when you are wrong, you might as well be REALLY wrong!

 

if you look back even further you might find a comment where i admit to being wrong more often than right when it comes to political prognostication

 

****, personally, i lost more elections than i won

[Tom Braybrook]

^

 

great to know you are following the posts though ;-)